Applicator



Dem 16 19419 F. W. RHTCHEE APPLICATOR Filed Aug. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Fl e (er/ck W I?) 7c 4 ie Dec. 16, 1941. F. w. RITCHIE APPLICATOR Filed Aug. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Bearvcl I14 fffC/ll A iforney Patented Dec. 16, 1g41 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates broadly to dispensers and more particularly to what may be termed an applicator, the object of the invention'being to provide a device for'facilitating the applying of liquids such as liquid poisons, disinfectants, and the like to growing plants.

Further in accordance with the present invention a device is provided whereby such liquid may be applied to the under or bottom surfaces of the leaves of the plant in an eflicient manner and without injury to such leaves, to the end that the liquid applied thereto will not be readily washed off of the leaves by rain as now is generally the case.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the applicator. I

Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2--2 and 3-3, respectively, of Figure l,

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing a guide member for the leg of an adjustable handle forming part of the invention, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a valve member forming part or the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that the device comprises a substantially cylindrical barrel 5 the lower portion 6 of which is tapered in the manner shown for directing the liquid contents of the barrel to a discharge opening I in the bottom of the barrel.

The barrel 5 is provided at the top or upper end thereof with a wall 8, and the wall 8 adja cent the periphery of the barrel is formed with a depression 9 that serves in the nature of a funnel for directing fluid into the barrel 5 through a flanged filling opening it formed in the depressed portion 9 of the wall 8. A threaded closure plug it is provided for the opening id as shown in Figure 4,

Also formed in the top wall 8 of the barrel 5 is a flanged opening it and accommodated within the opening ii is an externally threaded plug The plug it serves as a guide for a valve rod i3 that operates through a suitable opening provided therefor in the plug i2.

Extending through the discharge opening 'I in the bottom of the barrel 5 is a discharge neck It that is suitably anchored in position by solder or the like it as shown in Figure 4.

The inner end of the neck It is formed to provide a seat ll for a concavo-convex valve I8.

The valve I8 is fixedly secured on the rod l3 inwardly from one end of the rod I3; said rod l3 at said one end being split longitudinally and the portions of the rod formed by the split spread apart and-curved outwardly from one another in order to provide a pair of flexible guide fingers I9 that work within the discharg tube It and serve to insure the proper movement of the valve rod i3 and consequently proper seating of the valve l8 on its seat ll.

The valve I8 is normally urged into engagement with its seat ll through the medium of a coil spring that is disposed about the upper end of the rod l3 and at one end impinges against the plug l2 and at an opposite end impinges against the collar 2| on the rod l3 as shown.

' At the upper end thereof the rod I3 is provided with a laterally directed integral handle 22 and this handle is normally urged into yielding engagement with a semi-circular rack bar 23 provided on the wall 8 and disposed substantially circumj acent to the plug 12 as shown.

The rack bar i2 tapers from one end to the other thereof so that as the handle 22 is swung upwardly of the inclined toothed edge of the bar 23 rod is against the action of spring 2|] will move upwardly to unseat th valve l8; while when the handle 22 is moved towards the minor end of the'bar 23, rodit under action of spring 20 will move in a direction to cause the valve l8 to seat on its seat ll thus cutting off flow of fluid from the barrel 5 through the discharge neck it.

Also in accordance with the present invention the barrel 6 adjacent the upper end thereof is provided on diametrically opposite sides thereof with channel guides 24-24.

The guides 26 accommodate the legs 28 of a suitable handle 2i. v The legs 26 are detachably secured in the guides 24 through th medium of spring latches 28 that engage in aligning openings, 29, provided in the v 45 legs 26, and 30, provided in the walls of the channel guides 24.

Thus it will be seen that the handle may be readily attached to or detached from the barrel 5 as found desirable.

It will also be noted that each latch 28 is formed from a single length of wire the intermediate portions of which are bent into a substantial U, with one leg of the U coiled about the opposite leg of the U in order to provide for the 55 latch a handle;' one end of the wire being welded or otherwise secured to a leg II, and the opposite end of the wire being bent to form the bill or hook portion of the latch for engaging in aligned openings 29 and III as shown.

From the description of the invention thus far itwillbeseenthatinusethetoolisheldinone hand, with said one hand grasping the handle 21, and while the applicator is being swimg back and forth over the plant the operator, with the other hand manipulates the handle 2! of the valve rod II for moving the valve ll to the desired position of adjustment for controlling flow of the liquid contents of the barrel through the discharge spout or neck ll onto the plant.

Also in accordance with the present invention the discharge spout or neck It at its outer end is diametrically enlarged and threaded as at 3| to facilitate the attaching thereto of a brush or analogous element 38 for wiping engagement with the leaves of the plant. When the attachment 36 is used the same will serve to cause the leaves of the plant to roll or fold so that the under surfaces of such leaves will be exposed and will receive some of the contents of the barrel 5 during the discharge of such contents. Such an attachment 36 will be found especially useful when spraying cotton plants, and when so used will provide for a substantial "mopping of such plant, a treatment which is very conducive to the flourishing of cotton plants.

. It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, operation, manner of use, and advantages of a device of this character will be had without a more detailed description thereof.

It will also be understood that while I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is in no wise intended to restrict the invention to the precise details of construction, combination and arrangement of elements herein illustrated and described, other than as may be required by the'prior art and scope of the claim hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a device of the class described, a barre having a closed top and a lower tapered end terminating in a tubular discharge neck forming a valve seat in said end, a centrally apertured plug in the top oi. the barrel, a valve rod extending through the aperture in said plug and into said neck for vertical sliding and rotary adjustment and having a lower split end forming downwardly diverging prongs alidably engaging said neck to provide a two-point open bearing against said neck for centering said rod relative to said neck during adjustment thereof and obviating resistance to discharge of liquid through said neck, a disc type Valve on said rod for engagement with and disengagement from said valve seat under downward and upward adjustments of the rod, respectively, means to urge said rod downwardly including a coil spring on the rod hearing at one end against said plug, a manipulative crank arm on the upper end of said rod for swinging to rotate the rod, and an arcuate cam 

